Therapy and Tailoring: What Self Care Looks Like for the Modern African Man
Across the continent, the conversation around men’s mental health is becoming less of a taboo and more of a necessity. Though the shift is slow, it is visible. While not every African man is sitting across from a therapist or journaling his thoughts in a linen bound notebook, many are carving out quieter, more personal ways of processing life, stress, and growth. These moments of self care often come wrapped in style, scent, sweat, or sound.
In Lagos, Nairobi, and Johannesburg, the modern African man is curating his well being through rituals that feel both accessible and expressive. From skincare routines to bespoke tailoring appointments, from long solo drives with curated playlists to reconnecting with traditional cooking methods, self care is evolving into a lifestyle, not a fixed destination, but an ongoing process of becoming.
Style as Self Expression and Comfort
Tailoring is no longer reserved for boardrooms or weddings. Designers like South Africa’s Lukhanyo Mdingi and Nigeria’s TJ Who are redefining what menswear can be, introducing softness, fluidity, and comfort into garments once known for rigidity. Linen sets, wide legged trousers, kaftan inspired blazers, and sandals have entered everyday wardrobes, allowing men to embody ease without compromising on elegance. Clothing becomes an extension of mood, and choosing what to wear becomes part of a healing routine.
For many, a well fitted outfit or the ritual of getting dressed with care provides a quiet kind of confidence. It is a way to honour oneself through intention. At a time when language around masculinity is expanding, so is the way men are choosing to show up in the world.
Grooming as Ritual
Barbershops have always held space in African urban life, but in recent years, they have also become wellness spaces in their own right. Beyond fades and shape ups, barbers across Accra, Kigali, and Cape Town now offer facials, scalp massages, and skincare consultations. Brands like Kenya’s Marini Naturals and Ghana’s Skin Gourmet are also leading the charge in African made grooming products tailored for men of colour.
A weekly haircut, a perfectly blended beard balm, or a scented body oil are more than cosmetic touches. They are small affirmations, physical cues that encourage presence. And for many, they are also the first step into conversations about health, confidence, and care.
Movement and Mental Clarity
Fitness remains one of the most common entry points into self care. For some men, the gym is therapy. For others, it is a run at dawn or a boxing class after a long workday. Platforms like Johannesburg’s FitMenSA blend physical strength with mental endurance, using fitness as a bridge to emotional resilience.
In a time where traditional masculinity often equates vulnerability with weakness, spaces like this provide alternatives. The body becomes a site of release. Movement is no longer punishment but a form of emotional processing.
Sound and Solace
Music remains one of the oldest, most accessible forms of therapy across Africa. Whether through curated playlists or live sessions, sound carries a unique kind of catharsis. Artists like Sauti Sol, Ladipoe, and Blxckie frequently explore themes of loneliness, masculinity, and identity, creating sonic spaces that speak to what many men are unable or unwilling to say aloud.
In Nairobi, music collective EA Wave hosts listening sessions that double as community care gatherings. In Lagos, underground soul and R&B nights offer a soft place for emotional release, often in spaces where men are encouraged to be both stylish and sensitive. These events become informal group therapy (without the clinical setting), but with just as much emotional weight.
In conclusion, there is no single roadmap for what healing looks like. For the modern African man, it might come in the form of a clay mask, a chess match, a Sunday lunch cooked from scratch, or a new pair of sandals from a local designer. These are quiet rebellions against the idea that strength must always be silent.
As Men’s Mental Health Month comes to a close, what becomes clear is that wellness for African men is already happening. Not always loudly, and not always with the vocabulary of wellness movements in the West. But it is there: in routine, and sometimes found in the simple act of showing up for oneself.
